Mindfulness is a modern movement, appropriated from ancient Buddhist roots, and clinically innovated by
Jon Kabat-Zinn. The practice of mindfulness involves being aware moment-to-moment, of one’s subjective conscious experience from a first-person perspective. When practising mindfulness, one becomes aware of one’s "
stream of consciousness". The skill of mindfulness can be gradually developed using meditational practices that are described in detail in the Buddhist tradition. The Five-Aggregate Model, an ancient link between mind and body, is a helpful theoretical resource that could guide mindfulness interventions. The term "mindfulness" is derived from the Pali-term
sati which is an essential element of Buddhist practice, including
vipassana,
satipaṭṭhāna and
anapanasati. It has been popularized in the West by Jon Kabat-Zinn with his
mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program.